Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-29378

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 9 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects NHS Borders to make any further reductions or savings once the NHS board returns a financial balance to repay accumulated brokerage.

NHS Scotland is facing an unprecedented financial challenge, but all NHS Boards continue to have a statutory responsibility to reach a break-even financial position.

NHS Borders delivered a deficit outturn in 2023-24 and continue to manage financial pressures in 2024-25. Scottish Government are working with NHS Borders to create a credible and realistic path to balance and, once that path balance has been achieved, the Board would start to repay outstanding brokerage.

Question reference: S6O-03715

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to strengthen its Fair Work First Guidance to support and promote the good practice example, referenced in the guidance, of providing a private, healthy and safe environment for breastfeeding mothers to express and store milk.

Question reference: S6W-29099

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what requirements exist to ensure that public sector buildings are equipped to support mothers who breastfeed at work.

Question reference: S6W-29098

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place for mothers who wish to breastfeed at work.

Regulations, such as The Equality Act 2010, make it unlawful to discriminate against a breastfeeding mother in the workplace.

The Scottish Government encourages employers to adopt a breastfeeding and return to work policy such as the NHS Workforce Breastfeeding Policy. Our Fair Work First Guidance, provides good practice examples to guide employers and, importantly, explains the benefits of fair work for workers. Good practice examples for supporting women at work include providing safe spaces for breastfeeding mothers to express milk at work.

Parent Club, our national on-line parenting platform, provides practical advice and information on rights for breastfeeding mothers on returning to work.

Question reference: S6W-29096

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 27 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the law in relation to the protection and management of seagulls.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review the law in relation to the protection and management of gulls.

NatureScot has responsibility for the issuing of licences under Section 16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which permits the killing and taking of wild birds, including gulls, for specified reasons. These reasons include the preservation public health and safety, the prevention of bird strikes on aircraft at airports, and the prevention of serious damage to farmer's crops and livestock.

The Scottish Government has asked NatureScot to undertake a review of its species licensing functions. Further details about this review can be found on NatureScot’s website: Species Licensing Review - Terms of Reference | NatureScot

Question reference: S6W-29097

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 27 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed how effective current legislation is regarding the management of seagulls in relation to any public health and safety concerns.

The Scottish Government has not formally assessed how effective current legislation is regarding the management of gulls in relation to any public health and safety concerns.

In previous years, NatureScot have seen a large number of applications submitted for gull management for public nuisance issues which is not a licensable purpose under Section 16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In response, NatureScot provided guidance this year on the differences between gull behaviours which result in impacts on public health and safety and that which is considered to be nuisance behaviour. They also provided further advice in relation to alternatives to licenced control. A copy of the guidance is available on NatureScot’s website: Species Licensing Review - Terms of Reference | NatureScot

Question reference: S6W-28472

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which forthcoming Bill will contain proposals to modernise deer management, in light of its Managing deer for climate and nature consultation.

The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to modernising deer management to tackle high deer numbers, specifically in order to help us to achieve our biodiversity and carbon objectives. We continue to pursue a wide range of actions to deliver this commitment.

The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course.

Question reference: S6W-28470

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the outcome of its consultation, Managing deer for climate and nature.

The Scottish Government’s 'Managing Deer for Climate and Nature: consultation' closed on 29 March 2024. This consultation sought views on proposed legislative changes to Scotland’s systems of deer management, including in relation to a number of recommendations made by the Deer Working Group (DWG) in their 2020 report.

The responses are currently being analysed and an update will be provided in due course.

Question reference: S6W-28471

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to bring forward the proposals set out in its Managing deer for climate and nature consultation.

The Scottish Government’s future legislative programme will be set out as part of the upcoming Programme for Government in due course.

In the meantime we are working on those Deer Working Group recommendations that do not require primary legislation through the Strategic Deer Board .

In addition to this, as set out in the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Action: Policy Package , we are developing a package of incentives schemes for deer management to pilot across Scotland. These local schemes will be implemented this year in different parts of Scotland to test different approaches to incentives and to better understand the barriers to deer management.

Question reference: S6W-28014

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 14 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its current commitment is in relation to the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal; with specific regard to rural innovation and skills, whether it remains committed to the allocation of £7 million to local authorities, and whether it would support the allocation of this funding to regional colleges to ensure the future development and delivery of rural and land-based skills.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering up to £85 million to support a range of projects across the south through the BorderlandsInclusive Growth Deal.

On rural innovation this includes £2.5 million towards six pilot projects which will harness the region’s natural capital to support economic growth and £4 million towards a dairy innovation centre at SRUC’s Barony campus in Dumfries. The Dairy Nexus will deliver state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure to support innovation in biorefinery and milk technology, and the UK’s first ‘digital twin’ of a dairy farm.

The Scottish Government has also committed £7 million through the Deal to develop the skills needed by the South of Scotland economy. We have encouraged the partners to work with the South of Scotland Education and Skills Strategic Coordination Group, a sub group of the South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership, to develop proposals to utilise the skills funding focused on the needs of the region’s economy. The colleges are represented on that group alongside other relevant stakeholders.

We are currently awaiting proposals from the Borderlands Partnership for the skills element of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal funding.